This is the website of Graham Walker, Dorset, UK who has had an interest in the early piano for over 30 years. He has undertaken the restoration of instruments for private collection and has also carried out research on early pianos and their makers over this period. This has been done alongside a career in management consultancy and performance management.
Early retirement in 2007 enabled him to become more involved and he commissioned a cloth manufacturer to produce an authentic keyboard cloth. This cloth is the nearest match to an early 19th century piano cloth that can be made within modern manufacturing processes. It was initially produced for his requirements but it soon came in demand by others. Further types of cloth have been replicated by request from makers and restorers. These cloths can be purchased from the online shop on this website. He has also undertaken some research into the leather used in early English pianos and is currently working in liaison with the Institute of Creative Leather Technology, Northampton University, UK with the objective of determining specifications.
He is involved in supporting interest in the early piano and is passionate about ensuring that our heritage of early pianos collections in the UK can be maintained for the future.

Music publisher and seller, musical instrument maker but it is doubtful whether he made pianos. He was probably a piano dealer. Started business in 1774 at Banbury Court, Long Acre but soon moved to the Strand. He was at 97…

Piano maker and music publisher. Rolfe was a partner with Thomas Culliford making square pianos for Longman & Broderip until the firm became bankrupt in 1796. He continued in business with Culliford but left the business in 1798 to trade…

Piano maker, inlayer, music publisher and seller initially at 22 Broad Street moving to 47 Broad Street, Soho and also at 48 Broad Street from the early 1780’s. From 1779, Ganer made very elegant inlaid square pianos on a “French”…

Harpsichord and piano maker. 7 Broad Street, (fl. c1760 to 1807) He emigrated from London to Philadelphia, United States in the early 1790’s. Trute is known to have made tangent action square pianos as well as instruments with the usual…

Keyboard instrument maker, Musical instrument seller and organist. C1760 to 1771 in London. Porter Street, Newport Market. Vietor emigrated from London to United States about 1771 and continued making harpsichords and pianos. An advertisement that appeared in the Public Advertiser…

Harpsichord and square piano maker, Active in London c1760 to 1783 and also active before 1760 in Saxony. He may have worked for Silbermann before coming to London. When he arrived in London he started to make English guitars but…

Piano maker in Dublin from 1783 and opened a business in Lad Lane London in 1794. Southwell was a prolific inventor. He filed for several patents including improvements to the pianoforte in 1794. This patent was for improved dampers (known…

It is not known whether Henry Hartz was a piano maker or provided the financial investment for piano making. He was in business with Thomas Henry Schrader, the foreman to Gabriel Buntebart trading as Schrader and Hartz. There are extant…

Piano maker. He was born about 1750 in Schimmerwitz (now Siemirowice in Poland) and it is thought that he came to London in the 1760’s. He was making square pianos from 1778 or perhaps a little earlier until 1792. He…

Piano maker. (fl.1790-1799) Trading at “corner of Edward Street and 95 Wardour Street, Soho” as Houston & Co, and later as James Henry Houston. Became bankrupt in 1797 but continued to trade in agreement with his creditors until 1799. Bought…